Ladder attachment.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

0. v. FRIEND. LADDER ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED D3012. 1904.

ATTORNEYJ Patented February 12, 1905 PATENT @T'mcn.

CALVIN V. FRIEND. OF ALTONA, ILLINOIS.

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,259, dated.February 21, 1905.

Application filed December 12, 1904. Serial No. 236,566.

To rnZZ whmn/ 7125 'ntrty concern.-

Be it known thatI, CALVIN V. FRIEND, residing at Altona, in the countyof Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a Ladder Attachment. ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of an attachment for the ordinary ladder,adapted to be detachably and adjustably connected to the upper end ofthe ladder, whereby to serve as a means for preventing the ladder movingsidewise, as a ladder-hook, and also adapted for connection with thelower end of the ladder to hold it from slipping.

ith the above objects in view my invention consists in an appliance ofthe character stated comprising certain peculiar arrangement andcooperative combination of parts, all of which will be hereinafterdescribed. and pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of aladder, showing my improvement adjusted to hold the upper end of theladder from moving sidewise. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theimprovement adjusted to serve as aladderhook. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection of the upper end of the ladder on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a transverse section thereof on the line 4: 4c of Fig. 3. Fig. 5illustrates a sligl'itly-modified arrangement of my invention andshowing the same connected to the lower end of the ladder to hold itfrom slipping. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the several parts thatconstitute my invention separated.

My improved ladder attachment is composed of two sections A and B, whichare slidably connected with each other, so that they can be readilyadjusted to provide for connecting the attachment to ladders ofdifferent widths. Each of the sections A and B is formed of a singlemetal bar that is bent at a Z) to form loops to fit over the edge of theside bars of the ladder, and the outer ends of the said loop portions abare extended to form prong-like fingers at Z), the purpose of whichwill presently appear.

The inner end of the bar B has loops or keepers b 6 through which theinner end of the member A slides and which form the adjustableconnection between the members A and B.

C C designate clamp-screws that engage threaded apertures in the fingerportions (4 I) and are so disposed relatively to the loops (7/ b as toengage the side beams of the ladder to hold the attachment to itsadjusted positions. D D designate a pair of forked arms that are pivotedto the sections A and B at X X to project at right angles therefrom.

So far as described the manner. in which my improved ladder attachmentis used is as follows: I Vhen it is desired to use the same for bracingthe upper end of the ladder from slipping sidewise, the attachment isset with its finger-prongs a b projected upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1,and when in this position the finger-prongs engage the wall or otherabutment against which the ladder is placed, and thereby steady theupper end of the ladder and materially reduce the danger of said upperend moving sidewise.

hen the attachment is used as a ladderhook, the said attachment is seton the side bars or beams of the ladder to project downwardly andforwardly from the ladder end, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is madefast by the set-screws C and is prevented from slipping or turning fromits adjusted position by the forked fingers D D, which under theadjustment shown engage the rung of the lad der above the attachment.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly-modified form of my invention, inwhich the flat U- shaped loops (0 o are mounted in iron brackets E E,secured upon the lower ends of the ladder-beams or side bars, and whenthus adjusted the attachment acts as a means for bracing the lower endsof the ladder to hold it from slipping.

By pivotally connecting the forked fingers D D to the members A and Bthe said fingers can be readily swung to the-desired position to engagethe ladder-rung during different adjustments of the members A and B onthe ladder sides.

Having thus described-my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

l. A ladder attachment comprising a body IOC portion adapted to extendacross the ladder having loops at the opposite ends for straddling theedge of the ladder beams or sides, and having its extremities extendedat right angles to the cross portion to form fingerprongs, and means forclamping the loop portions on the ladder sides for the purposesdescribed.

2. A ladder attachment, which comprises a body portion formed of tWosections, means for slidably connecting said sections to permit oflengthening or shortening the attachment, each section having a loopportion adapted to straddle the outer edge of the ladder, andfinger-prongs that project at right angles to the cross portions thereofand mean's for clamping the said sections to their ading extended atright angles to the cross portion to form prongs, means for clamping theloop portions to the ladder sides, and a second means for engaging theprongs of the ladder for the purposes specified.

4. The hereinbefore described improved ladder attachment, which consistsof a body portion formed of tWo sections, slidably connected With eachother to permit of lengthening or shortening the attachment, each of thesaid sections having a loop portion adapted to straddle the outer edgeof the ladder sides and having their extremities bent at right angles tothe cross portion to form projecting prongs, means for clamping the loopportions to the ladder sides,'and forked arms pivotally connected to thebody sections projected at right angles therefrom and adapted to engagethe prongs of the ladder for the purposes specifiedx CALVIN V. FRIEND.Witnesses:

J. N. MoKIE, G. N. LARSON.

